Current-motor.



No. 802,228. PATENTED 001., 17, 1905.

A. A. MORTON. CURRENT MOTOR.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l v WITNESSES: INVENTUH No. 802,228. PATENTED 00117, 1905. A. A. MORTON.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 WITNESSES:

AWORIVEVS "rarn'n'r or'rren.

TINTTEI) STATES CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Tatented Oct. 1 7,1905.

Applisatiou filed January 27, 1905. Serial No. 242,859;

ject being to provide a motor of this character that will be simple in construction, having no parts liable to get out of order, and that will be operated by currents of any force and regulated as to the throw of its transmissionrod leading to machinery on shore.

I will describe a current-motor embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference inclicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a currentmotor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan, and Fig. 4 is a detail showing a portion of the power-shaft and the bearingsleeve for the paddle-rod.

The frame of the motor comprises beams 5, extended outward from any suitable anchorage-such, for instance, as from the shore of the stream or from an anchored float or the like-and suspended from the beams 5 by means of rods 6 is a platform 7. A powershaft 8 has its upper hearings in a boxing 9, attached to a platform 10. secured to the upper sides of the beams 5, and its lower bearing in a boxing 11, mounted on the platform 7, through which the said shaft extends. On the upper end of the shaft 8 is a crank 12, with which the transmission-rod 13 has a universal-joint connection 1 1. Secured to the lower end of the shaft 8 and below the platform 7 is a sleeve 15, which extends horizontally, and mounted to rotate in this sleeve is a rod 16, carrying paddles 17 18 at opposite sides of the power-shaft. These paddles 17 and 18 are arranged at right angles to each other, so that when one is in vertical position to be acted upon by the current the other will be in horizontal position above the watersurface. It may be here stated that the paddles do not travel a continuous circle, but move back and forth through an area of about one-quarter of a circle. In other words, the paddles operate with reciprocating motion.

An arm 19 is mounted to swing on the shaft 8, as here shown, below the platform 7 and extends outwardover an arc-shaped plate 20, provided. at opposite sides of its center with perforations for receiving stop-pins 21. By limiting the movement of the arm 19 so as to. regulate the speed of the transmissionrodthat is, by placing the pins 21,closer togetherthe speed will be'increased and will be lessened when the pins are placed farther apart. Extended outward in opposite direc tions from the inner end of the arm 19 are lockingrods 22. These locking-rods pass loosely through perforations in arms 23, secured to the sleeve 15, and are designed to be engaged by oppositely-extended stop-arms 24 on the rod 16.

In the operation, referring to Fig. 3, the current-pressure is on the paddle 18, and the locking-rod 22 is engaged by the arm 24: adjacent to the paddle 17, holding said paddle 17 in horizontal position. As the paddle 18 reaches the point the arm 19 will come in contact with the pin 21, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and then by a continued movement of the paddle, the arm 19 remaining still, will draw the locking-rod 22 inward, releasing the arm 24 adjacent to the paddle 17 and force the other red 22 outward to be engaged by an arm 2 1 adjacent to the paddle 18. The current will then immediately reverse the paddles, so that the paddle 18 will be in a horizontal position and the paddle 17 in a vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines 1 in Fig. 3, so that the Water-current will reverse. the motion.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A current-motor comprising a vertical shaft, ahorizontal rod at the lower end of the shaft, paddles on said rod at opposite sides of the shaft arranged at right angles to each other, and means for automatically causing a reversing of the paddles and the motor upon the partial rotary movement of the shaft.

2. A current-motor having reciprocating rotarymovement comprising a frame, a vertical power-shaft supported by the frame, a horizontally-disposed sleeve on the lower end of said shaft, a rod mounted to turn in the sleeve, paddles on said rod on opposite sides of the shaft and at right angles to each other, automatically-actuated means for locking the rod to hold the paddles alternately in vertical and horizontal position and means for regulating the reciprocating movements of the motor.

3. A currentmotor comprising a frame, a vertical power-shaft, a horizontally-disposed sleeve in the lower end of said shaft, a rod mounted to turn in said sleeve, paddles on said rod at opposite sides of the shaft, and arranged at right angles to each other, an arm having swinging connection with the shaft, means controlled by said arm for locking the paddles in position, and means for limiting the movement of the arm.

4. A current-motor comprising a frame, a power-shaft supported by the frame, a sleeve arranged at right angles on the lower end of the shaft, a rod extended through said sleeve and mounted to rotate, paddles on said rod at right angles to each other, arms extended from the rod at opposite ends of the sleeve, an arm loosely mounted on the shaft and extended outward therefrom, guide-lugs on the ends of the sleeve. locking-rods extended from said last-named arm through said guidelugs, and adapted to engage the arms on the paddle-carrying rod, and means for limiting the movement of said last-named arm.

5. A current-motor comprising a frame, a vertical power -shaft supported thereby, a horizontally-disposed sleeve on the lower end of said shaft, a rod mounted to rotate in said sleeve, paddles carried by said rod at right angles to each other, guide-lugs on the ends of the sleeve, oppositely-extended arms on the rod at opposite ends of the sleeve, an arm mounted to swing on the power-shaft, rods extended in opposite directions from said arm and through the guides and adapted for engagement Withthe arm carried by the rod, a segment-plate along which the outer end of the arm on the power-shaft moves, the said plate having a series of perforations at each side of its center, and stop-pins for engaging in the perforations.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT ALANSON MORTON. [a a] l/Vitnesses:

J. W. BROOKS, W. F. CRoWE. 

